Abstract

“An abstract is an accurate

representation
of the contents of a document in an
abbreviated form”
(Porush 75).
 ASK YOUR SELF THE
FOLLOWING QUESTIONS
 Why would another researcher be interested in this
research?
 What are the most important aspects of the research?
 What should a reader be sure to know about the
research?
 What information will the reader have to have in order to
understand the most important aspects?
 What are the main points from each section of your
report? Summarize each section in one sentence, if
possible.
 HOW TO START WRITING AN
ABSTRACT
 you must introduce your subject matter

 tell what was done

 present selected results

 all in one short (about 150 words) paragraph

 as a result, you should usually write the abstract last

 Ask Yourself

• Why would another researcher be interested in this

research?
• What are the most important aspects of the research?
• What should a reader be sure to know about the
research?
• What information will the reader have to have in order to
understand the most important aspects?
• What are the main points from each section of your
report?
• Whether you have summarized each section in one
sentence, if possible.
• purpose
• What is the author's reason for writing?
• What is the author's main idea? scope
• What is the author's focus in this piece?
• Where does the author concentrate his/her
attention?

•
• scope
• What is the author's focus in this piece?
• Where does the author concentrate his/her
attention?
• method
• What kinds of evidence does the author
provide?
• How does the author try to convince the
reader of the validity of his/her main idea?
• results
• What are the consequences of the
problem or issue that the author is
discussing?
• recommendations
• What solutions does the author present to the reader to
resolve the problem of issue in the piece?
• Does the author recommend action or change in his/her
piece?
• conclusions
• Does the author describe a 'cause and effect'
relationship or explain the origins of this issue or
problem?
• What conclusions does the author draw from his/her
study of the issue or problem?
• An Informative Abstract of Roger Simon's "No Compassion for Drunk
Drivers"
•      In "No Compassion for Drunk Drivers," Roger Simon explains the anger he felt
over viewing a television documentary entitled "Drunk Driving: The Toll, The
Tears." He felt enraged by the attitudes expressed both the journalist who
produced the documentary, Kelly Burke, and the host of the documentary, Phil
Donahue. The source of his anger seemed to grow out of the hypocrisy
surrounding this issue that Simon believes exists both in the judicial system and
the media. First, Simon uses statistics to point out that drunk driving is a common
crime in the United States, and because of that fact, judges and jurors alike are
likely to be biased in favor of the drunk driver, he reasons. Secondly, Simon uses
a detailed analysis of the images and language in the documentary to illustrate his
contention that the media is biased in favor of the drunk driver. His evidence takes
the form of language that unquestioningly portrayed the drunk driver as a victim,
rather than a criminal. Simon recognizes that his solution to this hypocrisy is
unrealistic: a wish that drunk drivers would only kill and maim each other.